Plastic cleaning composition



.Patented- Aug. 24, 1937 I I k I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLASTIC CLEANING COIWPOSITION 3 August J Stahl, Kenilworth, N. J., assig or to Standard Oil Development Company, a cumration of Delaware i No Drawing. Application October 8, 1932 Serial No. 636,956

4 Claims. (Cl. s7- t This invention relates to an improved plastic be put. If too much filler is used, the dirt, ink, cleaning composition, particularly adapted for etc. on the surface to be cleaned will not adhere cleaning solid surfaces such as smooth surfaces quickly and firmly to the cleaning composition, like wall paper and irregular surfaces like the and on the other hand'if insufficient filler is used 5. type of typewriters, rubber stamps, etc., and the the composition may be too sticky for convenient 5 like, and to methods of making same. use having a tendency to stick to the fingers of One object of the invention is to prepare a the person applying the cleaner and it may also composition having such plasticity and adhesive stick to the surface being cleaned and may stick characteristics that when contacted with a. dirty to the metal box' or other container in which it surface such as type surface, wall paper, etc., the is packed.

ink or dirt will adhere to the cleaning composi- If desired, a liquid consistency modifier may tion and be withdrawn from the surface being also be used which may comprise any type of cleaned, when the cleaner is withdrawn. mineral or vegetable oil or it may be a relatively H Another object of the invention is to produce non-volatile solvent. If used at all it is used in such a composition which will be economical, only relatively small quantities.

convenient to use and durable. For the sake of illustration'only and not desir- Broadly, this invention consists in preparing a ing to be limited thereby, the following general cleaning composition by using a plastic polymerexample is given of suitable proportions for carryized hydrocarbon material, if necessary coming out the invention. The hydrocarbon polymer pounding therewith such other minor ingredients may be used alone or in proportions ranging from 20 as may be desired, such as a pulverized filler, a about30% to 100%,and the mineral fillerfrom70% liquid modifier, abrasive, coloring matter, perdownwards, preferably from about 50 to 10% defume, etc., or blending with it other plastic rubberpending upon the amount of polymer used. From like or doughy materials such as those that have 0.1 to 5% of coloring matter is usually sufflcient been used heretofore. More specifically, I have and perfume ii used at all is used in only a. 25 found that as a suitable polymerized hydrocarsufficient amount toimpart the desired degree of 1 bon material, I may use the colorless plastic subperfume or to mask the odor of any other instance resembling a synthetic pitch which is progredients. As mentioned above, a liquid conduced by polymerizing various unsaturated hydrosistency modifier may also be used in small carbons in the presence of a volatile halide catamounts if desired, usually not exceeding 20%, 30 alyst. For example, an olefine such as isobutylthe percentage which may be used depending ene may be polymerized at low temperature largely on the proportion of polymer and filler. (about 10 C.) in the presence of boron fluoride, As filler, any relatively inert powdered material I The product is a tough, viscous, semi-elastic, 9.1- may be used'such as calcium carbonate, chalk,

most colorless plastic mass having a fairly high barium sulfate, celite, fullers earth, talc and the 35 molecular weight, from 800 (as determined by like; as one example of a suitable filler, I have -the viscosity method described in Staudingers used four-parts of calcium carbonate to one part Book, Die Hochmolekularen Organischem Ver-. of barium sulfate. Other plastic materials which bindungen, H. Staudinger Berlin 1932 Verlag Von may be blended (usually less than 50%) with the 40 Julius Stringer, page 56). This material is stable main plastic polymer may be rubber, factice, under ordinary conditions and will not deteriorate paraffin wax, tung oil gel, bread dough, etc. As or harden with age as is the tendency withsome suitable modifiers which may be used, the folother materials. which have been used heretofore lowing are mentioned: a mineral oil having a as the chief ingredient in plastic cleaning comviscosity in the range of a lubricating oil, a vegepositions. table oil such as cottonseed, castor, linseed and 45 In carrying out my invention I mix the polythe like, or a relatively non-volatile solvent mamerized hydrocarbon material, mineral filler if terial such as the higher alcohols, glycerin, and necessary and other minor ingredients if desired the like. and mill them thoroughly together until the com- After the materials comprising the composition position is a homogeneous mass. Mineral filler have been measured or weighed out, they are is used if the polymer alone is not of proper conmechanically mixed together in any suitable apsistency and adhesiveness, the proportions of the paratus capable of making a homogeneous mixplastic polymer and the filler being adjusted to ture free from lumps. Afterthe mixing is comobtain the proper degree of consistency and adpleted, the composition is then formed in suitable 55 hesiveness according to the use towhich it will shaped pieces and wrapped in any desired type. 5

of container, preferably metallic, or some type of non-absorptive paper.

When this composition is used for cleaning, it is contacted in any suitable manner with the dirty surface to be cleaned and then removed.

The dirt adheres to the composition, leaving the solid surface clean and the composition may be used again and again simply by preparing a fresh surface by repeated kneading in the hand, as is commonly done with such plastic cleaners. For

cleaning irregular surfaces such as typewriter type, sculptures, monuments, oil paintings, etc. the cleaner should be pressed onto the surface to be cleaned, whereas for wall paper, stained glass windows, and other relatively smooth surfaces, a stroking contact motion is usually best.

Several specific examples are given herebelow of formulas which have been found adapted for Although I have described the particular method in which one certain kind of hydrocarbonpolymer is formed, I do not desire to be limited to any particular method of preparation. It is within. the scope of my invention to use any polymerized hydrocarbon of the type heretofore specified which has the desired plastic and ad-' hesive characteristics and which may be suitably modified in consistency by the addition of inert mineral fillers, liquid modifiers, etc. such as I have described above. The plastic product should preferably be derived by polymerization of relatively pure materials so that the resulting polymer,

will be colorless or at least substantially free from any .impurities which might decrease the durability of the finished composition.

I do not desire to be limited to any of the speciflc illustrations of the invention given as there may be relatively wide variations in the kinds and proportions of materials used without departing from the scope of the invention and I desire to be limited only by the following claims by which it is my invention to claim all inherent novelty as broadly as the prior art permits.

1 claim: 1. A plastic non-hardening cleaning composition, containing as its chief plastic ingredient a non-hardening polymer of isobutylene having a,

molecular weight above 800, containing intimately admixed therewith a pulverized inert mineral filler, said mixing composition having a texture and consistency adapted for kneading in the hand.

2. A composition according to claim 1 containing a small mount of substantially non-volatile liquid consistency modifier.

3. A composition according to claim 1 containing a small amount but not exceeding 20% of mineral oil having a viscosity in the range of a lubricating oil.

4. A composition according to claim 1, containing about'10-50% mineral filler.

AUGUST J. STAHL. 

